Magnetic reed switches are used in active implantable medical devices as a simple way of placing the device in a known operational mode when a programmer is not available. For example, placing a magnet on a pacemaker sets it to VVI mode with a manufacturer-specified set of parameters. In other devices (e.g. implantable cardioverter/defibrillators), placing a magnet on the IPG inhibits the delivery of high voltage defibrillation.
Although the reed switches that I use don’t come from Meder Electronics, I came across a very cool video that Meder produced regarding their manufacturing process. Continue reading